COLOURS OF AUTUMN

While I was in Melbourne this week I particularly noticed the Autumn colours.  


 The first autumn leaves to catch my eye were these, cascading over a garden wall. I also made a point of visiting the Botanic Gardens.

The Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens are situated on a swathe of parkland that slopes down to the Yarra River. The garden is divided by a small valley, with an artificial stream that runs down the hillside to a series of ornamental lakes. This view is at the high end of the garden. It shows the 'English landscape garden' style for which these gardens are famous. The yellow leafed tree in the photo is a Ginko Biloba.

Nearby is the 'oak lawn', with a variety of oaks from across the northern hemisphere. Sadly, some of these trees have been damaged or blown over in recent years during severe storms; thus the small replacement tree in the right foreground. The relatively mild climate of Melbourne, compared to the natural habitat of the oaks, results in them growing and ageing more quickly than would normally be the case.

Beside one path the sun was shining through the leaves of a smoke bush cotinus coggygria. Although it is hard to see in the photo, just to the right is a purple buddleia, that made a lovely colour contrast. 
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On Monday last week, Lee Johnstone lead a workshop for members of the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School. The two combined themes were: 'an arrangement to be viewed from all angles' and 'an arrangement with an autumn-winter feeling'. I had noticed orange pittosporum and red cotoneaster berries over the last month and had been wanting to use them in an arrangement. So here was my opportunity.
         
Unfortunately, the photograph I took at the workshop was blurred so this photo above is a re-working of the subject at home. I have added some 'fingered citron', citrus medica var. sacrodactylis, in the centre as a textural contrast. At the workshop I had used three vine leaves. However, they did not survive the journey home. The vase is by Graeme Wilkie.

 I'd also like to draw your attention to a posting on Emily Karanikolopoulos's blog. Her students made some delightful ikebana works from the new Sogetsu Curriculum Book Five. The exercise is a 'Composition expressing a Movement'. You will need to scroll down to the post of 23rd May.

 Greetings from Christopher
3rd June 2017
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1 comment:

  1. GailJune 18, 2017 at 2:48 PM

    Your photos of the Fall foliage are wonderful. The oak tree and English Landscape garden are lovely and what a big ginko tree. I hope it is a male tree versus female. In my neighborhood we have sidewalks and each house has a street tree. My neighbor has a female ginko tree and every fall the seed pods litter the sidewalk and have such a strong smell, like dog do, I practically have to hold my nose until I go inside.

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